Catching up...

As you can tell by my lack of posts lately, life has been a blur in recent weeks. But it has been full of wonderful memory making and now I need to catch up and download my pictures before I have too many to post! Tomorrow we plan to hit the beach for a day with friends from church, we'll go to our Tapestry of Grace unit celebration tomorrow night, and Friday morning 5am we hope to roll out of the driveway on our trek to Mimi and Pop-Pop's in Indiana!!

Now to play 'catch up' since my last post...Memorial Day weekend we were blessed to spend time with our dear friends the C's. After an 8am baseball game on Saturday, we headed out to their home in Frederick Maryland . We slept over, went to church with them Sunday morning , and then left for Williamsburg, Virginia where we stayed in a beautiful timeshare courtesy of Mr.C. Between both families we have 13 children...1 of their sons is recently married (remember the wedding we were sadly too sick to attend?) and their 17 year old son was at the New Attitude conference. There were still 13 children in all because they invited 2 of their friend's children to join the fun. We had a wonderful time... the timeshare was a beautifully furnished , spacious 3 bedroom 'walk out'. We stayed 1 floor below the C family...next time we need to request the bottom 2 floors as our noisy crew actually elicited a phone call from the people staying below us. Evidently Odesco was jumping around and it must have sounded like the ceiling was about to cave in ...oops! Needless to say, we had to work really hard at keeping the noise level down~ This is a challenge in our own home with 'only' our 6!! On site' was an indoor and outdoor pool, miniature golf and unlimited use of an arcade. The kids had a blast and our few days together ended too quickly!

As soon as we returned home from Williamsburg on Wednesday we headed out to C's baseball game. Then we had to pack up the 4 youngest to get them ready on Thursday night when they would be picked up by Mimi and Pop-Pop for a 2 day stay at their house. The big boys, M and I went to our state homeschool convention where we served in various jobs all weekend. It was a whirlwind, we were exhausted, but the Lord sustained us and my parents who had a few challenges to deal with!!

This past weekend we attended a pool party for C's baseball team and believe it or not, I forgot my camera!! 2 of the coaches were swinging kids by the arms and legs and throwing them into the deep end. The kids were all lined up awaiting their turn. Mercy and Odesco, our little 'belongers', were right there in the middle of it all. Their exuberance and love of life were definitely enjoyed by many that day. To see their beautiful bright smiles as they sailed through the air before hitting the water did my mommy heart good. At times their energy level can be well, a little exhausting...and sometimes even exasperating as their their boundless energy can often be quite provoking. The Lord gave me a new appreciation for their zest and zeal that day ...these traits which can often challenge are also strengths in the proper context :) The coach's wife took pictures so I hope to receive those soon and I'll get my cyber boy to help me post them :)

Thanks for actually checking in considering what a bad blogger I've been lately!!
Mama B

PS: Some humorous household happenings:
** Odesco can still be quite challenging to understand at times requiring him to repeat things often. Some of it this is due to his thick Liberian accent but he also struggles at time to correctly pronounce certain sounds which we are working on with his phonics instruction. Anyway, as you can imagine, this can frustrate the little guy!! A few weeks ago L was asking me about something and although I could comprehend him perfectly, I had no idea what he was referring to. Odesco found this quite comical and commented,"Mom, you so silly...you from America and L from America and you still no understand him!!!" I think he was relieved to know he is not the only one in the house needing to repeat himself!!

** On the way to Williamsburg we stopped at a Burger King to feed all the hungry bellies. As I was taking orders for various hamburgers, Odesco emphatically declared, "I want a Williamsburger!!!" He was totally serious~

** For weeks before our trip, Mercy told anyone who would listen that soon we were heading to "William-S-burg". ...in spite of all our correction regarding correct pronunciation, she still insisted that this is where we were going. Before long, the rest of us were saying we were going to William -S - burg as well!

** The other morning Odesco exclaimed that he had seen a 'see-mall' bat in his room. (translation: 'small bat') he then went on to explain that it had pooped on him. Yikes, what in the world was he talking about?! He was quite concerned about this...I finally figured out that Mercy had killed a moth (they sort of look like small bats, don't you think??) She smooshed the critter and the guts got on Odesco's hand-hence the 'poop' comment!!

** I asked Odesco if he had greased up the other morning ...he told me, "Mommy, I always forget! You need to "remember" me..."

** The other day I took just Mercy and Odesco out on errands with me. It was fun just enjoying them without all the other sibling issues which crop up on a regular basis. I realized I need to take them out more often for a primer in 'social skills' . Mercy who is very observant, just says whatever comes to her mind in her typical LOUD voice.We had a few embarrassing moments--I guess the Lord needed to work on my 'fear of man' issues as well!! She now knows she can ask me whatever she wants once we reach the privacy of our car :) She also has no problems sharing with those in line with us that she is adopted from Liberia and that there are 8 people in our family!

** A few days ago, we went to deliver something to our neighbor. Mercy and Odesco were with me and they had never met our neighbor's mom before. Mercy spoke very comfortably this gracious lady explaining that her middle name 'Evangeline' means 'bringer of good news'...she then went on to share Odesco's full name and why we chose it. As this woman nodded sweetly, Gracie whispered to me, "Mom she's sharing too much personal information!!" Undaunted, Mercy said," I wanted her to get to know the B family!". Well, she certainly did- whether she wanted to or not :)
Hope you enjoy the pictures!!

These are old pictures from several weeks ago...Odesco asked for a Mohawk...so he got one for about 5 minutes :)!! All he needs is a gold chain and he could be Mr. T's son!!

Scary looking!!

Ahh...Mommy likes this much better :)!

Williamsburg, Virginia...After checking out the place, L struck this pose and declared,"Now, this is the life!!"

A 'quiet' meal in our timeshare unit.

The rest of the crew...

All 13 kiddos :)

On Memorial day we went to historic Jamestown. It was fun to relive a period in history that we have already studied. Mercy was thrilled to see this in the Indian village...it reminded her of 'beating food' in Liberia.

'Paddling' along in a dug out canoe. L says he's the Indian chief!

L and F...I think the armor weighs almost as much as these 2!!

Daddy and the gang taking a break

On board a replica of one of the ships the colonists traveled over in. A boy sure can do a lot of 'imaginating' with props like this!!

While viewing the Indian village, P saw a tree snake..Miss K bravely pulled it off the tree...eeek!!! We also saw several 'skinks'...cool looking lizard type creatures with bright blue tails. We were told that they can somehow detach their wiggling tails if a predator goes after them ...so they are able to scramble away while the hungry predator is left with a wiggling tail...pretty cool, huh??

At this area there were a few reenactors dressed and ready to welcome 'recruits' to the company. Tickets were required for this event so we just sat and watched from a distance.

Notice L and Mercy with fingers in their ears...they were like this for most of our time here. They were convinced the men were going to shoot their guns...as we were leaving and almost to our cars, the shots rang...good thing we were a distance away! As much as L loves artillery, the anticipation of the bang sends those fingers to his ears!

L Really wanted his head in a picture with the horse and carriage...couldn't get them both ..at least we got the back end of the horse...speaking of which.....

The kids didn't really appreciate the 'present' dumped by that beautiful horse left unattended in the middle of the road...

A walk in historic Williamsburg....look what happens to disobedient kiddos!!

We ended the evening in the historic area with a Dairy Queen visit...the folks behind us had their patience challenged as we attempted to have everyone make quick decisions regarding flavor choices...between wavering decisions and cash register blunders, it was a bit of a fiasco but well worth it :)!!


Uncle Fred taught the younger kids a little bible lesson on kindness with the help of his puppet friend "Hush Puppy"

Ready to head for the pool...what a crew!!

Fun in the sun !!

Ahh, the joys of homeschooling. I came outside to look for L and this is what I found. He was intently studying this picture from a book given to us about the War of 1812 :)

You can't tell but L had me take this picture because he decided to get 'shiny, shiny' with the coconut oil ... while his skin didn't appear shiny, he sure smelled good!

P is being creatively lifted up to take down the sign at the close of our annual state homeschool convention...who needs a ladder when you have an able bodied teen around???

These 2 crack me up...L is sitting in his 'wagon' (think Oregon Trail) and Odesco is pretending to be the horse...notice L's attire and gun (of course) to scare off any Indians who might attack!!

Happy 18th birthday, Miss Brittany!! That sign is Mercy's masterpiece...it actually says "Happy Birthday" in the midst of all the dots :) Brittany has been such an instrument of grace into our lives. She has offered to babysit various times so I can attend a church meeting with M or just to give us a date out. She has also recently begun doing Mercy's hair and she is quite good at it and much quicker than I am. I marvel at the Lord's attention to detail ...due to my recent responsibilities on a project for the homeschool convention, my time was definitely limited. Britt's offer to take over Mercy's hair literally freed up HOURS so that I could get this project done. Thanks, Brittany!!! You are well loved in the B house!

Our 'little man' is 6!!!

For those of you who know L, I'm sure you'll agree that while he may be little in stature, he is mighty in spirit. This little guy keeps us quite entertained with all his 'imaginating' and creativity. Just today as I was attempting to do his math lesson with him, he had the lid to the math manipulative bin (a 'shield' ) and a sharpened pencil (a 'sword') and was jumping around the living room fighting off imaginary enemies as he loudly counted backwards, shouted the days of the week, and answered other related questions that are a part of his math work. Later, I caught him with the roll of aluminum foil and before I realized what was happening, he had taped a large folded square of it to his head (why, armor of course!!) and was later found sitting on P's new toolbox (why, a horse of course!) galloping off to battle with his 'sword' and 'shield' ready. Odesco soon followed L's lead and had a head full of foil too! L continues to love to draw and can often be found with pencil in hand and smudge marks all over his face as he creates quite intricate drawings. Last week he announced that he needed a quiet place to draw since he can't concentrate with all the noise in our house-as if he is not a main contributor!?! . He asked permission to set up a 'studio' in the basement and that is exactly what he did.
L has truly risen to the challenges he has faced in these past 17 months. He went from being the 'baby' of the family to welcoming a 'little' brother who is actually much bigger than he is! He really has a heart for Odesco and in spite of their frequent spats, these 2 can be good little buddies. I often see them out in the yard with sticks having sword fights or hiding behind trees 'shooting ' at the enemy. Tonight they helped me clean out their room...they were both so pleased with the results that they were saying over and over,"I love our clean room!" and then for some reason, they kissed the door...silly boys!! They also crack us up with a ridiculous game they created and now call 'the paper mache game' (I honestly have no idea how L came up with this unique name!) Odesco and L stand at opposite sides of the room...both boys pound on their bellies and then L runs toward his big 'little' brother ...they sort of body slam as L bounces off Odesco's protruding belly --it is truly a sight to behold! I usually shut it down after a few moments because of the 'ouch' potential but it really is a hoot to watch these 2 in action!!
L is also our cuddlebug and many times in the day will say,"Mom, I love you!" to which Odesco replies, "L ,why do you have to keep saying that?!?" He has a very sensitive heart and today after a rather challenging day , he was feeling quite sad about his sin. What an opportunity to encourage him that God is at work in his heart causing him to feel sorrow for his sin. It was also an opportunity to reaffirm my love for him in spite of my impatience during his many dramatic episodes.

How grateful I am to have this little guy in our family...he truly does keep us all laughing with his silly antics and unique "L-isms" such as "Mom, can't you just imaginate it?", or his cute pronunciation of words like 'snaked' (as in no clothes on!), 'sterious' (as in mysterious)...oh and often he makes 'a stake' (mistake).
Phew, we have officially made it through another B family Birthday Bash season...no birthdays until September when Odesco turns '5' . What a blessing it has been to recount the faithfulness of the Lord in granting us these precious children...it's easy to lose sight of this in the thick of it all. He truly is a giver of good gifts!!

We went to visit the G family a few weeks ago...all the kids were playing rambunctiously outside when these 2 came in...L has found a kindred spirit in his friend S...they both decided to draw a 'still life' of a toy car...too cute.

L is hard at work sketching...We just finished a unit study on the Oregon Trail and we borrowed this cool wagon train model from our friends.

Voila...the finished work :)

Dress up fun :)

We were all outside playing in the cul-de-sac with some neighborhood friends when L suddenly ran inside...he was obviously busy 'imaginating' because this is what(or should I say, who) I found when I came in to look for him, Darth Vader was in my kitchen!!

Odesco and L preparing for the 'paper mache game'... what a study in contrasts!! Need I say more?!

G and L in a sweet sibling moment :)

L with his birthday stash...Civil War army men and cool Medieval figures..he didn't seem to mind that we were mixing 2 distinct periods in history :) Oh and I just love when I can get away with giving a toothbrush as a gift and there is genuine excitement from the recipient !!

One more gift...A very ingenious invention is hidden underneath all of L's masterpieces ( except for the Star War guys which were created by Miss Brittany). It's a sticky piece of plastic that clings to the wall without damaging the paint... and supposedly, it can be easily removed. It is also sticky on top so you can plaster it with whatever you want. L went through his pile of papers and chose his favorites to hang. The plastic itself is only 8.5x11" but L really got a lot of mileage out of it by creatively arranging , don't you think?!

Gotta love those 'authentic' looking helmets and L's homemade sword and shield

Never a dull moment around here...after a rather challenging morning, the 4 littles decided to lighten the mood and were busy upstairs making lots of noise. They were in stitches as they came downstairs to present to me the '2 old ladies'...notice Odesco's tights and sandals...the sword in L's hand is actually a 'cane' in this scenario.

These 2 didn't want to change out of their attire and played "Go to the Dump"(a math game similar to Go Fish except they are trying to get 2 cards to add up to 10) in costume.

It's Official: There's a teenager in the house!!!!

Yes, it's true. We are now the parents of a teenager :) P celebrated his 13th birthday on Saturday. It blows my mind to contemplate how quickly these past 13 years of parenting have flown by. I will never forget the tears of gratitude as M wheeled me out of the hospital with our long awaited baby in my arms...truly the Lord heard the cry of my heart in granting me the privilege to be a mom and now we are blessed with a houseful. In spite of my sin and shortcomings the Lord has chosen to bless us in this way... what amazing grace!!

P spent his 13th birthday with me at a homeschool conference in a neighboring state. We went up with a friend from church and her 15 year old son who attended seminars with P during the bulk of the convention. We stayed overnight and arrived back home on Saturday evening.(Daddy was Mr. Mom and stayed home on Friday so that we could leave early in the morning...what a guy!!) P especially enjoyed all of the meals out and perusing the mountains of books! It is amazing to watch our little boy become a young man...he has changed so much in just the past year. Not only has he changed physically, but he is growing in his walk with the Lord. P sets his alarm almost every morning for 6am and comes downstairs while the house is still quiet to have his devotions and get a head start on his schoolwork before the noise begins :) He is very diligent and has become quite independent and responsible for his schoolwork with just oversight from me. He also watches his siblings frequently when I need to take a sick child to the doctor or run quick errands. We are very proud of the young man he is becoming and look forward to seeing all the Lord has for him in the coming years.
Happy 13th birthday :)
We love you!!

For his 13th birthday Daddy bought P a mega toolbox that we can fill holiday by holiday until he is ready to leave the nest (sniff, sniff!!) Then he'll be equipped to handle household fix-its! (Thanks to my friend Kim for this great idea!!)

Happy Birthday, C!!

Our newly turned 11 year old in his BRAVES uniform.

We are in the midst of our busy birthday season in the B household. In 5 weeks we celebrate 5 birthdays and Mother's Day. Definitely a season of celebration :)!! C turned 11 on Saturday--I can not believe how quickly these years have flown by. I know those of you with growing families can understand this phenomena. The memories of his arrival are still so very vivid...I'll never forget the nurses giggling in surprise to see the weight on the delivery room scale peak at 9 # 14 ounces...and our 'little' fellow was almost 23" long. As we celebrate all of these milestones, I am reminded afresh of what a privilege it is to be a mom and watch the years unfold, personalities develop, and the Lord work in the lives of our children.

C is my shopping buddy and great company when I am counting coupons in the grocery store or even searching through clothes racks for a gift. I asked him yesterday why he likes to join me on evening grocery trips. He admitted the reward of a free cookie from the Shoprite bakery and the advantage of knowing all the good food in the house is a great motivator.(I guess so he can 'stake his claim'??) Wisely, he also added he likes spending time with me :)---good answer!!
C has always had a tender heart for his little brothers and often is found playing around with them during the day. He loves to accompany these little guys on doctor's visits to help distract them and he often 'rewards' their good behavior with play time on his Game Boy.
C loves sports and last year willingly sacrificed his township baseball season so that we could focus on building our newest additions into the B family. He never complained about this although I know it was something he missed. Thankfully, this year our family is spending many hours at the ball field cheering C and his teammates on. We are proud of C's self control on the field and his coach has commented on what a joy it is to have a young man like him on the team. I look forward to seeing all the Lord has in store for our #2 son!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, C~ We love you!!

Another one of Mimi's yummy creations--decorated this time in Medieval theme for L --C and P thought their little brother might enjoy that theme.

All this partying tires a guy out...Odesco crashed on the family room floor with baseball cap still in place and cap gun not far from his reach!!

Our "G" turns 8...where does the time go??

It is hard to believe it has been 8 years since our little girl entered our household of dump trucks, work boots and testosterone!! And from the outset, she has been a girly-girl...loving lace, frills and dolls, much to her mommy's delight!! This past year of transition has been especially challenging for G who willingly gave up many things to welcome her new sister into the family. G 'sacrificed' her status as 'only girl' and has generously shared her room, clothes, toys, parents, grandparents, and friends with the sister she prayed for . G has really grown much through this stretching and we are so proud of her. She and Mercy are slowly becoming best friends although as you can imagine, this takes quite a bit of hard work :) I'm sure those of you with daughters at home close in age know exactly what I am talking about. I truly believe that all these challenges are for G's good and the good of our entire family.

Happy birthday, G...we love you and are looking forward to seeing all the good things the Lord has in store for you in the years ahead. We're so grateful the Lord blessed us with you!!!

G and Mercy in a sweet sister moment :)

We celebrated with Mimi and Pop-Pop on Saturday. As always Mimi brought a creative edible birthday surprise!!

Glimpses of grace

This post is a week overdue but it is still ringing in my heart and I wanted to write it down before I forget!! Last Friday morning I suspected that Odesco might have strep throat (Mercy was diagnosed the day before) and thankfully the office was able to squeeze us in at 9am. Odesco requested that L join us so off we trekked for a strep check. Odesco was amazingly compliant for the unpleasant strep test and didn't fuss at all in spite of the gag effect! This was a total miracle when I consider his behavior during his first doctor visit in December '06. As the doctor was explaining to me that he did not think Odesco had strep but was only checking him because Mercy had tested positive the day before, Odesco climbed up on the exam table behind him , took his stethoscope, put it in his ears and began listening to the doctor's heart! It was hysterical and this doctor who is quite goofy and great with kids enjoyed the moment...I think he also was remembering how far our little man had come! He even let Odesco "test" him for strep...with his own hand on the swab just in case Odesco got a little over enthusiastic!! Once again God faithfully has reminded me that He is at work and has already done great and mighty things. It is so easy for me to lose sight of that and to fall into unbelief as the day to day 'issues' can overshadow these glimpses of grace.
How kind of the Lord to give me a visual reminder that He will finish what He began in the hearts of our children!!
Thanks for checking in,
MamaB

Food, Glorious Food!

Food continues to be a preoccupation with our 2 new additions. At times,I must sadly admit this challenges my patience . But instead of focusing on the negatives, I thought I'd share the 'up-side' of this challenge.
1- I can serve them leftover fish and chicken(especially "chicky on the boon") for breakfast and they think they've hit the jackpot! Mercy knows she's not allowed to eat the bone anymore but she does manage to break them open and suck the marrow out. I spoke to a former missionary to Nigeria recently and she told me that in Africa, chicken bones provide much needed calcium and nutrients.Often this is the only source they have... wow, how much I take for granted here!
2- I almost never have any wasted food as these 2 will gladly consume whatever I place in front of them.
3.They think I am a good cook...Ha,ha--keep reading and you'll understand why this humors me so.
4.They thoroughly enjoy their food like no one I have ever witnessed before!
5. They will happily eat seconds of salad and vegetables knowing that is usually the only way they will receive a second helping of the main course.
6. Their 'little' bodies are sprouting like weeds on Miraclegrow.

Even 18+ years into my role as a homemaker, I am still learning valuable 'lessons'. Read on and you'll see what I mean!....It seems that all of my creative juices and energy are depleted when it comes to meal preparation and I am running out of ideas for satisfying 'meatless' meals. The other night I was reading the littles a Big Backyard Magazine and we came to a page about crickets and grasshoppers. Mercy very matter of factly stated that she ate those in "Li-bee-ra with her true-true Ma". Odesco then chimed in that he also enjoyed these tasty treats with his 'black ma' but not at Acres of Hope.I asked what they tasted like and Mercy replied,"They were yum!" It got me thinking: in the spring/summer,our house is infested with those huge crickets (think crickets on steroids) that have amazing jumping potential... the kids have appropriately called them 'garage haunters' and when these critters are in abundance, the kids are often afraid to go into the garage or basement without an escort.Could this be an answer to my quest for other meal options???(I'm kidding, really!!)
Last week, I attempted to cook up 4 pounds of black beans(got a great deal!)...I was so proud of myself for remembering to soak them the night before. Then I woke up in the morning to find a mass of hard beans at the top of the pot...what happened to all that water??
Lesson #1: You need a really, really colossal pot to soak 4 pounds of beans overnight.
After making this mental note, I scooped off the dry beans on the top and re-soaked those while I attempted to cook the ones that had hopefully soaked enough all night long. As I was working on school with Odesco at the kitchen table, I heard a sizzling sound. The pot overflowed...there was black bean goop all over the stove top, oven door, floor, cabinets and counter. This scenario repeated itself 3 times with every batch I attempted to cook in spite of my efforts to prevent a repeat performance... I never realized before that black bean juices produce a very beautiful shade of purple! Thankfully with a little elbow grease, I was able to remove most of it...just don't look under the drain pans on my white stove - I think they are permanently purple!!
Lesson #2...you need a really, really colossal pot to COOK 2 pounds of black beans.
Not to be deterred by my culinary goof up, I decided a loaf of garlic bread would be a delicious addition to the black bean soup I would be preparing later in the day. In between teaching Mercy and Luke, I quickly threw all the ingredients into the bread maker and at around 1, I turned it on. I noticed about an hour later that the kneading process seemed to be noisier than I remembered but I got distracted with something else and forgot about it. There were only minutes left in the baking cycle when I peeked and saw that my loaf of bread was still a squatty blob on the bottom of the breadpan.
Lesson #3: if something doesn't sound right, investigate!! It seems that the kneading bar had become dislodged and the dough never kneaded or rose as it was supposed to. Too bad, the garlic smelled delicious and I did sneak a bite of the one teeny spot that actually did bake....it was delicious , really!At this point it was nearing dinner time and I needed to leave soon to pick the kiddos up from Mrs. Di's. I knew this meal was going to flop without some other belly filler....thankfully I had some of those quick biscuits in the tube (the ones that you slam to pop open) left over from an activity I did with the girls a few weeks ago. This was definitely lacking in nutritional value but the kids were thrilled to have rolls with dinner. So much for my gourmet meal....it literally took all day to cook(and clean up after) those pesky beans...but I have 4 bags worth in the freezer for future use.
Ironically, on Thursdays, when we have our 'friend frenzy' I try to do a Home Economics activity with the girls (okay, you can stop laughing!). I am using an age appropriate curriculum that progressively instructs the girls (although Odesco usually manages to get in on the action as well) in Home making skills.... I guess it's a good thing. Maybe I'll learn the fine art of cooking black beans by the time G is in the 6th grade :)!!!
Thanks for checking in...~Hope you enjoy the pictures ~
MamaB

PS: Some fun household happenings:
**Odesco was taking a shower last night and was asking me about the 'holy smoke' he was seeing. I explained it was steam and a form of water but not smoke. Then I asked why he called it 'holy smoke' and he said," God is like fire...I remember the picture in our bible when God was in the fire"...he was referring to how the Lord led the Israelites by the pillar of fire by night. Too cute!!

**At Homeschooler's Day Out last week, I taught about Mary Slessor, a Scottish missionary to Nigeria, West Africa. The book was illustrated and Mercy was a running commentary on African culture and what we were seeing in the pictures. She explained to the class what a 'lapa' is (the cloth an African mommy uses to carry her baby on her back), she noted the big' drum'in the picture and explained that the people in the picture were 'beating' the food with a sturdy stick..(by this she is referring to the process of 'beating' potato greens for soup or cassava roots to make fu-fu). Later I asked the class if the houses in the African village looked different than our homes in America. One student remarked that the houses had grass roofs and Mercy chimed in," Those are bamboo roofs!". (I know from her adoption paperwork that she lived in a hut with a bamboo roof). While there are many challenges to adopting older children, this is surely one of the many blessings... we get an eyewitness window into her past. It was priceless!! Later in the class, we decorated 'African instruments' and put on the CD of Watoto Children's choir (African music)...the kids had a ball dancing around shaking their bean filled decorated toilet paper tubes!!

** For fun the other day, Mercy and Odesco found my grocery ads and spent a few animated minutes circling all the food they would like me to bring home from the store. I didn't glance at the fliers until I was out shopping and I was not surprised to find that almost every edible item had a large crayon circle around it!! Even my coupons were not exempt...they must have gotten their hands on those before I had a chance to clip them. I'm glad I had a separate written list and was not relying only on my notes in the store ad ...I would have blown the budget and emptied the checking account if I had purchased every item that was circled by Mercy and Odesco!!

Easter Sunday...what a dapper boy!! These are Odesco's 'pastor clothes'. For some reason he equates a tie and button down shirt with being a pastor :)

Last week: "Friend Frenzy Thursday"...the big guys resting from a rigorous game of basketball! I can't remember where L and Odesco were during picture taking time?!

The older girls doing their "Home Ec" lesson...making biscuits -Yum!!

Mercy and her pal Miss H, had their own Home Ec session making biscuits... for some reason, it was a little bit messier :)....The boys always oblige the girls and gladly eat their creations!

On Friday nights we occasionally let the littles have a 'slumber party'...here they are getting cozy snuggling down with books before lights out- they moved it out of the way for the picture but the girls had rigged up a sheet to hang down the center of the bed to separate their space from the boys--too funny... Eventually L ended up in his own bed and Odesco was snuggled in a little heap with books surrounding him when I went to check on them later that night.

Mercy attempted to ride this bike...her bike is getting a bit small as evidenced by her knees hitting the handlebars--quite a sight! She can ride this one as long as there is no need for a sudden stop...sort of reminds me of our days on the ski slope! On Sunday after church, the neighbor girls were outside on their scooters. The big boys were at a friend's house and the 4 littles were anxious to get outside. They are not allowed out front unless they are directly supervised so they had to wait for me. Odesco sat staring out the window at our neighbors having fun sighing," Life is not fair!". He just wanted to on his bike in the worst way and after some practice he actually has almost mastered riding sans training wheels!!

All that outdoor fun made Mercy quite hungry and she was a bit challenged waiting for dinner...she parked herself in front of the only food visible and promptly fell asleep.

Yes, you are seeing this right...Odesco is lifting his almost 11 year old brother...just after I snapped this picture they both fell over backwards. Still, the strength of this little fellow continually amazes me. Now the challenge is helping him to begin to use his strength to help others and bring glory to God!! When you're the 'big guy' it can be tempting to use your size for other purposes...